"Spend like a celebrity (or at least browse like one)"
Shopping is like an Olympic sport in West Hollywood and the city plays host to locals and people from all over the world with one common goal: finding the hippest and trendiest fashions, furniture, and styles. With an emerging fashion scene on Sunset Plaza, the Avenues of Art & Design, and Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood is the center of new, fresh and young-spirited shopping.
SUNSET PLAZA
Nestled among the Georgian revival shops at Sunset Plaza are hip designer boutiques like Tracey Ross, Nicole Miller, Armani A/X, and Anna Sui. H by Lorenzo, the finest of Italian shoe fashion, is the spot for favorites like Roberto Cavalli, who recently opened their sister store Just Cavalli. L’occitane and Fresh keep you looking your best while you continue to browse unique shops like Billy Martin’s, who sell western gear and flawless boots. Weary shoppers can find respite and view the parade at the Plaza’s sexy sidewalk cafes, popular spots with names like Cravings, Clafoutis, Chin Chin Cafe, Le Petit Four and Il Sole.
SUNSET STRIP
Along with nightclubs, restaurants and hotels, the Sunset Strip offers a fun variety of different places to shop, especially if your passion is books and music. Tower Records is a rock n’ roll flagship known to host famous record signings with stars like Aerosmith and Jennifer Lopez. Indie bookshop Book Soup is also a hotbed of celebrity book signings and other fun events. Mystery Pier Books next door carries historic, unique and rare books. Other unique shops include Celebrity Closet Raiders, a boutique that sells previously worn celebrity garb, and Hustler Hollywood, the largest erotica store on the West Coast owned and operated by Larry Flynt’s daughter.
AVENUES OF ART & DESIGN (The Hip)
On Melrose, Beverly and Robertson, secluded and understated boutiques and shops define West Hollywood fashion. Euro-designs are found at trendsetters like Maxfield and Avedon, while American fashion reigns at John Varvatos. Each of West Hollywood’s thoroughfares is walkable and inviting. Heritage Books on Melrose Avenue houses extremely rare collections and first editions of books by the greats, including Shakespeare and Twain. Fine and decorative arts are showcased and savored at places such as Armani Casa and Minotti with their trendy, yet modern-elegant interior designs and home ware anchor a boulevard full of fine domestic and imported interior fashion.
SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD (Route 66)
This unique, eclectic and historic boulevard is home to a wide array of shops from gay bookstores to classic car showrooms. A Different Light and Circus of Books have reading material of interest to the gay and lesbian community and Heritage Car Classics displays vintage ‘rides.’ For the more adventurous consumer, Pleasure Chest and In2Male sell products and clothing to spice up your life. Buy or sell clothes to Out of the Closet thrift store.
